Chapter 16

Elena stared at him in shock. She opened and closed her mouth several times before finally finding her elusive voice.

"What?" she whispered.

Damon looked her in the eye, the intensity on his face assuring her that he was serious.

"I love you Elena." He said softly.

He stroked her hair and cupped her face, she blinked, trying to process what he was saying.

"I love you." He repeated. "And I believe in you."

As his words sunk in Elena felt her face crumple; tears trickled down her cheeks and her chest burned.

He pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her. She rested her head against his chest and gave in to the wracking sobs that were shaking her small body.

"Don't give up on yourself Elena."

The kind words sounded unnatural to her ears. It didn't make sense, she didn't deserve for someone to say things like this to her. She wasn't worth it.

She knew she should just walk away, but she couldn't. The way Damon was holding her made her feel safe. It was that feeling she remembered from before all of this happened. When she had crashed her car, the minute she had seen Damon she had known, instinctually, that she was safe. Whenever he had been around he had made her feel secure and cared for. Protected. It was a feeling that she had begun to think she had imagined.

Her chest ached at the blissful familiarity and for a few minutes she let herself forget. Forget everything that had happened, forget everything that she was. She let herself just be a girl finding peace in a boy's embrace.

She imagined that she was still the old Elena; the innocent girl who believed in redemption and love. She forgot for a while who she had become.

But it couldn't last forever.

As her tears slowed her brain took over again, and fresh tears threatened to fall as she reminded herself why she didn't deserve this. Didn't deserve him.

Almost as though he could feel her change in thoughts, Damon pulled back to look at her.

"It's going to be ok." He murmured, looking at her with what could only be described as adoration.

"I don't understand." Elena said hoarsely, unable to prevent the crack in her voice.

She stepped back into his arms, needing to be close to him, knowing that after what she was about to say she might never get that feeling again.

"Damon I don't understand." She whispered again, fighting the tears with all her strength. "I'm bad…I'm…I…don't understand…why you'd love someone like me."

She felt something wet hit her cheek and realized with a shock that it wasn't one of her own tears.

"Because you are the most amazing girl I have ever met." Damon whispered. "You're strong and kind, you're fiery and beautiful and there's no one in the world like you. I love you because you're Elena. You're my humanity, the only person who ever gave me a second chance. You're the most important thing in my world. And that will never change."

Elena was crying freely now. His beautiful words making her feel things she didn't think she was capable of any longer.

They stood like that, in the dark alley, two broken hearts beginning to mend.

After a while Damon picked Elena up bridal style, she rested her head against his neck and he told her to close her eyes. She did as he instructed and when she opened them they were at the boarding house. He carried her upstairs and into his room, placing her in the middle of his large bed. He took off her impractical shoes and pulled a comforter up around her.

"Sleep, my angel." He whispered.

Her eyes were swollen from crying and she was struggling to stay awake, but she grabbed the sleeve of his shirt as he began to walk away.

"Please." She whispered.

He understood what she was saying and kicked off his boots before slipping into the bed beside her.

She curled into him and he held her, resting his chin on her head and murmuring soothing words until her breathing evened out in sleep.

Sorry it's so short~ I just felt like we needed something sweet and simple at this point!